Competition Calendar
Whether you're a seasoned poet or scribbling your first stanza, there’s something here for everyone. Explore what’s still open, get those entries in, and let your words shine on Friday 22 August!
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BIG THINGS LITTLE THINGS: POETRY FOR CHILDREN COMPETITION DETAILS
Timeline: open now - closes midnight Friday 1st August 2025
Winning poems to be celebrated on Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, Friday 22nd August 2025
Theme: “BIG THINGS little things” – to be interpreted as widely and wildly as entrants like.
Winning poem: $50 cash prize | Judge: Renowned children’s writer and poet, Bill Nagelkerke
Criteria:
- Entry is free
- Open to anyone in New Zealand aged 18 years and over
- Send in up to three poems aimed at 5-12 year olds
- There is a 25 line limit per poem
- Poems should be previously unpublished (including not on private blogs, websites, social media)
- Poems should be all your own work and not have any AI generated content. Any poems found to have AI generated content will be disqualified.
- Poems should be written in English
- Previous winners are welcome to enter.
To Submit:
- Poems should be in a single Word document. Please use the title of your first poem as the file name for this document. Please don’t include your name anywhere in this document
- You will need to provide a short author bio including a sentence or two about why you write poetry for children (up to 100 words)
- Preferred method: Completing the online entry form (requires Google account) at https://forms.gle/x2VjZ7kSEDqh4zj19
- Alternative method: Emailing your Word document to thepoetsxyz@gmail.com. Please put Big Things Little Things Poetry Competition in the subject line. In the body of your email please include your name, the title(s) of your poem(s) and a brief author bio (up to 100 words) and 2-3 sentences about why you write poetry for children
The Fine Print: By submitting an entry, you are consenting to your poem:
- being promoted as part of Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day 2025 which may include being published in whole or in part on social or other media;
- being published on social and other media to promote poetry for children in New Zealand and any future poetry for children competitions run by The Poets XYZ for National Poetry Day.
- being used in future digital or printable media to promote poetry for children in New Zealand
Writers will retain copyright of their poems. Unfortunately it is not possible to provide personal feedback for each entry we receive.
For more info email thepoetsxyz@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook at The Poets XYZ
TOITŪ HE KĀINGA NATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION
This competition is open to people who whakapapa Māori. Our aim is to create space for Māori perspectives and creative expression about the built environment — grounded in the principle of Māori-led storytelling and self-determination.
Submit your best poem in English or Te Reo Māori. The winning English and Te Reo Māori entries will be published online and submitted for publication in our book on cities (expected to be published mid-late 2026).
Entry Details: Entry is free and open to Māori aged 16 years and over. One poem per person. Poems should be previously unpublished and can be of any length, any style. Submit your entry at www.tinyurl.com/thkcomp
Submission Dates: Entries open 01 July 2025, entries close on Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day 22 August 2025. Winners to be announced in late September.
Contact Details: james.berghan@twoa.ac.nz
GIVEN WORDS
On 1 August, we will publish five 'Word Films' made by international poetry filmmakers. You then have until midnight on 22 August to send us your poem, which must include the five words.
The words can be in any order and verbs can change tense. The Best Poem and Best Poem by Under-16s, selected by Sophia Wilson, Pat White and Charles Olsen, will receive prizes courtesy of The Cuba Press and Massey University Press. There is also a Class plan available for teachers to use with their students.
Entry Details: Free entry. Open to all NZ citizens and residents. Maximum length 200 words. One poem per person. Submit your poem by email including your full name and town of residence to nzgivenwords@gmail.com
Submission Dates: 1 August to midnight on 22 August
Contact Details: Charles Olsen – nzgivenwords@gmail.com
Further Info: nzgivenwords.blogspot.co.nz | Instagram @givenwords
CONSERVATION BLACKOUT POETRY COMPETITION
Participants are invited to create a blackout poem using an article from the issue closest to their birthday—or matching the final digit of their birth year if born after 2004.
With adult and under-18 categories, the competition encourages reflections on conservation, native species, and the protection of Aotearoa’s natural world. Winning and runner-up entries will be exhibited at the WordCore Wayfinders showcase on National Poetry Day and the winners will be published in Forest & Bird.
Entry Details: Free. We are especially keen to hear from people who might not consider themselves 'poets', but may have an interest, and want to give poetry a try. Blackout is a great entry point! All entries must be via email. Information and instructions for the competition can be viewed here.
Submission Dates: Competition to run 1st July to 5th August — announced on 22nd August, at the WordCore event/online. Winners contacted beforehand.
Contact Details: Hebe Kearney, blackoutpoetryaotearoa@gmail.com
Forest & Bird issues on Papers Past: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/forest-and-bird/
KOHUKOHU LIBRARY POETRY PRIZE
Kohukohu Library volunteers are thrilled to invite poets to enter this 2025's poetry competition.
The theme is LOVE/AROHA
- Poems must 30 lines or less.
- First prize - $150. 1 runner-up -$50.
- Poems must be unpublished or accepted for publication as of June 6th, 2025.
- Poets must be New Zealand citizens.
- Poets may enter up to 3 poems.
- Poems must be clearly formatted, preferably in a serif font, 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing.
- Entry is free
- Poems must be the original work of the poet, free from AI generated content.
- Winners announced on Kohukohu Library Poetry Prize 2025 fb page on National Poetry Day, 22 August, 2025.
- Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Entry Details: Entries to kohukohulibrary@gmail.com
Submission Dates: Entries close midnight on 15 August
Further Info: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087741992810
LIBRARIES TARARUA POETRY COMPETITION
Our poetry competition is back! This year we have two categories – Open and Haiku. There will be one prize for each category.
Entry Details: Entry is free and is open to all New Zealand residents aged 16 and over.
Submission Dates: Monday 28 July – Friday 15th August. Winners to be announced on National Poetry Day 22nd August.
Submission Guidelines: See Facebook event
Contact: Alice Leadbetter library@tararuadc.govt.nz
POETRY AOTEAROA YEARBOOK STUDENT POETRY COMPETITION 2025
The winning poems from each year group will be published in the 2026 edition, and all winners and placegetters receive a monetary prize and copy of Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2025. Their schools receive the 2024 edition for their school library.
Please send us up to three previously unpublished original poems. Poems should be supplied in either Word or PDF format and can be of any length, style and subject matter.
Entry details: Free to enter. Open to all Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13 students attending a New Zealand school. Please indicate what year you are in and the name of your school in your entry.
Submission dates: Friday 16 May to Friday 27 June 2025
Contact: Please submit entries to editorial@masseypress.ac.nz
Further info: See submission guidelines in full on masseypress.ac.nz/news